The Scars of War
by Tsunami Storm
Summary: The Hundred Year War may be over, but that does not mean that all of the conflict is over. Zuko and the others find out that another adventure is right on their doorstep.
1. Mending

I really should be working on my other stories, but inspiration tends to hit me no matter what my schedule looks like. Ah well. I'm writing another A:tLA fic! Hooray! This one is post-Hundred-Year-War, and all canon-pairings hold. Kataang, Sukka, Maiko, Smellershot, ...etc.

_**DISCLAIMER:**_ I **_don't_** own Avatar: the Last Airbender or Legend of Korra. Those wonderful masterpieces belong to Mike and Bryan. I forget what their last names are, and I'm too lazy to look them up. You avid fans know who they are. Tee-hee!

The Scars of War

Chapter 1: Mending

"Zuko, come on. You've been working on this nonstop for a week." Mai stated, rubbing her boyfriend's shoulders as he studied an intelligence report from the one-time Fire Nation colonies in the Earth Kingdom. Zuko sighed, but continued to pore over the document and attempt to find a solution. Not about to admit defeat, Mai continued, " You're not gonna reverse a hundred years of war right away. Come on, get some rest."

"Mai is right, nephew. The great city of Ba Sing Se wasn't built within a single day. You should take this time to heal, and rest." Iroh advised sagely, smiling at the newly-crowned Fire Lord in a fatherly sort of way. He thought of the young man as a second son, after his own son, Lu Ten, was killed.

Zuko grimaced guiltily at his uncle's words, putting a hand over his most recent scar. He owed his life to the young waterbender, Katara, and he smiled when he thought of her kind, happy face and her beautiful blue eyes. The wound would still hurt sometimes, catching him off-guard and playing havoc with his heart and breathing. "I can't afford to take breaks, Uncle. You said it yourself once: 'Only I can restore the honor of the Fire Nation. Born in _me_, along with all the strife, is the power to restore balance to the world." Zuko quoted, glaring at his uncle out of his scarred eye.

Iroh sighed, forced to admit defeat, but Mai put an arm around Zuko's shoulders and sighed, "But Zuko, you're just _one_ man. You can't expect to undo a century of war and suffering all by yourself. Come on. Get some rest."

The young Fire Lord sighed and ran a hand through his shaggy hair, hearing the truth in his girlfriend's words. "Maybe you're right, Mai." Zuko allowed grudgingly. "You guys go on ahead. I'll be up in a minute." He was lying, but they didn't need to know that. He didn't want to give them yet _another_ cause for worry. He was already hiding the constant throbbing pain from his lightning scar, and he knew that he needed to get some sleep. Judging from the veritable _mountain_ of scrolls and documents on his desk though, the possibility of completion seemed impossibly far out of reach.

_Maybe I should appoint some governors for this stuff. Mai's right. I can't do it all by myself._ The Fire Lord grudgingly admitted. _Some people I _know_ I can trust. Like Mai's father. He likes doing stuff like this._ Zuko smiled. _He'd be happy with a promotion._

Soon after that, he finished with the domestic affairs of the Fire Nation, and dove right into the pile of matters considering foreign relations. By the time he'd finished with the first document, the candle-clock sparked twelve midnight, marking 168 hours of sleepless nights for the burdened young man.

Finally standing up to retire to his chambers, he rubbed his good eye and yawned, glaring dejectedly back at the remaining pile of documents that would at least _double_ by tomorrow. He shook his head wearily and shuffled to the curtain that lead to his bedroom. He'd only taken three steps, however, when his head started to spin and his vision blurred. He felt an unexpected tightness in his chest, and found it inexplicably hard to breathe. He collapsed to the floor, grasping his left arm in sudden pain, and shuddering as tremors rocked his body. _What is this? _Zuko thought fearfully._ Am I having a heart attack? But... but I'm too young!_ He cried out once in pain, then lost consciousness.

Fortunately, whether by the design of the spirits or by mere chance, Admiral Ji happened to be walking to the young Fire Lord's study when he heard his collapse. He gasped and ran to the boy's room, dropping everything in his haste. As soon as he saw the young man on the floor, he raised the alarm and began to employ the necessary lifesaving procedures. After a few tense minutes, the Admiral checked Zuko's pulse at his neck. To his immense relief, it was full and strong. Zuko's breathing seemed normal too, and the soldier relaxed and smiled at the oblivious teenager. By this time, the royal guard had arrived, and they carried the unconscious Zuko to the infirmary, where some waterbending healers would hopefully restore him to full health.

"...I _told_ him to take it easy, to rest once in a while, but did he _listen_? _No_." a half-annoyed, half-anxious female voice grumbled.

"...That's our Zuko for ya. Brave and big-hearted as a lion-turtle, but also as stubborn as a donkey-mule." a second female voice interjected, and Zuko could hear the smile in her voice, although there was also worry present. Someone with gentle footsteps was pacing in the room, and yet another voice agonized, "I don't get it. I'm doing everything right, just the way Yagoda taught me, but it's not working. He's not waking up."

"Calm down, Katara. If _anyone_ can fix him, _you_ can. You're the greatest healer in the world!" the second voice encouraged, and Zuko silently agreed. _Wait. Katara? _She's_ here? How long was I out?_ He forced open one eye, his right, but quickly shut it again to block out the harsh light that was apparently directly above him. The three girls in the room had noticed his little experiment, however, and someone dimmed the bright light above his face.

"Zuko? Can you hear me?" a concerned voice asked, one filled with kindness and hope. That was Katara. He groaned once in discomfort, but then opened his golden eyes to look into those of the young Waterbending master. She smiled with joy, and the simple action lit up her whole face, making her eyes shine and sparkle like sapphires. "Where... am I?" he asked the owner of the beautiful eyes.

"The infirmary." the second, chipper voice answered, which Zuko finally identified as Ty Lee's. "You collapsed from exhaustion and a heart attack, and you've been asleep for five days! You gotta be more careful, Zuko. We almost thought we'd lost you." the acrobat-turned-warrior sniffed, wiping away a tear with her green uniform sleeve. On the other side of his bed, Mai was trying unsuccessfully to hide a few tears of her own. She marched right up to him, put her hands on his shoulders, and threatened in a deadly whisper, "_Never_ scare me like that again, Zuko, or I'll make Azula and Ozai look as harmless as koala-sheep."

Zuko gulped audibly for her benefit, knowing that she was certainly capable, but would never follow through on any threat to hurt him. She was his girlfriend, after all, and soon-to-be fiancée. He just had to find the right moment to ask her.

"She's right, Zuko. You gotta take better care of yourself." Katara agreed, her blue eyes giving him her best 'reproving Mom' glare. "I might not be around to help you next time."

"Because there's not going to _be_ a 'next time', is there, Fire Lord?" Mai half-teased, half-threatened.

"No. There won't." The young man answered ruefully, not liking that the girls were ganging up on him. He blinked a few times, then changed the subject. "I really had a heart attack? I thought that only happened to older people."

"No Zuko. A heart attack could happen to anyone, no matter what age they are. Stress is a killer, and so is overworking oneself and exhaustion. Add that to your recent lightning injury, and you've got a recipe for disaster on your hands." Katara admonished, glaring at the abashed Fire Lord, who grinned sheepishly in apology. "Your heart is still really weak from your Agni Kai. If you exert it too much..." she didn't finish the sentence, but she didn't need to. He knew that he could die. Katara was right, as usual.

"You're right, Katara. I've gotta take it easy. Relax. But I don't see how I'll be able to rest at all. I've got generations of my family's mess to clean up. This war has hurt so many people, in so many ways. It's my job to start remedying that." Zuko stated resolutely, standing to his feet, tall and strong.

"You cannot shoulder the whole burden by yourself, nephew. Though you certainly have displayed wisdom far beyond your years, the fact remains that you are still a teenager. Some folks believe that no matter how wise or knowledgeable a young man may be, they will still follow an older man, because they expect the elders to be wiser than rulers younger than the people they govern." Iroh imparted sagely.

"Then what do you suggest I do?" the Fire Lord asked his uncle, sounding for once like the overwhelmed seventeen-year-old boy he was, rather than the powerful Fire Lord everyone expected him to be.

Iroh put a reassuring hand on the boy's shoulder and commented wryly, "In my experience, dealing with foreign relations in person is far more effective than any scroll or parchment. You need to see the world, and show the people of the nations that the war is truly over, show them that the new Fire Lord has changed the Fire Nation. Just as the Avatar brought the world hope, you can bring it healing, and assurance of peace."

"Oh, _no_. I am _not_ staying behind_ again_ while my boyfriend goes off on some crazy quest." Mai argued, crossing her arms and pouting stubbornly.

"Who said you had to stay behind?" Zuko grinned at her suddenly, surprising her with the unexpected excitement and mischief shining in his golden eyes. "I was just about to suggest that you come too. After all, if the other nations are gonna meet the new Fire Lord, I would think that they'd wanna meet the new Fire _Lady_ as well, don't you?"

Katara and Ty Lee's mouths dropped open when they realized that Zuko had just _proposed_ to Mai, and they had to struggle to keep from squealing with delight. In a move that was quite unlike her, Mai gasped and jumped right into Zuko's open arms and kissed him full on the mouth. If Zuko was surprised at this sudden outburst of affection, he didn't show it, returning the kiss with enthusiasm.

"Ah. Young love." Iroh sighed to himself as he brushed a happy tear away from his eye. "Some say that love is the best medicine. And I cannot say that I disagree." he muttered as he watched his nephew and his new fiancée fondly, smiling as they spun around, reminding him of what it was like when he first started out with his wife.

"...And the Gaang just keeps getting bigger, doesn't it?" asked Toph rhetorically as she walked in unannounced, plopping down on an unused bed and feeling the vibrations of the two lovebirds twirling around. "Boy. You'd never know that Sparky had a heart attack, the way he's acting now. That guy can bounce back from pretty much anything."

"I guess so." Katara answered, smiling at her friend as he laughed joyfully, all traces of pain and worry gone from his handsome face.

"I've never seen Zuko so happy before. Even when we were kids." Ty Lee sniffed, coming to stand beside Katara and rubbing her right eye. "He was always so serious; so noble. If his mom had stayed, and if he hadn't been banished, he would've still made a great Fire Lord." she said, surprising Katara with the depth of her words. _Maybe, like Zuko, there's more to her than meets the eye._

"Well, I've had enough of this mushy stuff. I'm gonna tell the boys that Sparky's out of the woods." Toph announced, bouncing off the bed and leaving through the curtain door. Everyone else soon followed, except for Mai, Katara, and Zuko. The waterbender had wanted to check on how Zuko's newest scar was healing, but didn't want to interrupt the special moment between her two friends. After only half a minute, though, Mai kissed Zuko's cheek one last time, then left the room to join the others. Katara cloaked her hands with water, and Zuko sat back down on the bed and began unravelling his bandages, knowing instinctively what she wanted to do. He laid down helpfully and gave his friend a small smile as she assessed the progress of the mending, and Katara returned it half-heartedly.

"What's wrong?" he asked as she worked in silence, frowning and not meeting his gaze. He'd known her long enough to tell when she was upset about something, and today it was particularly obvious. Katara sighed in frustration as she continued to work, avoiding eye contact with the concerned and confused Fire Lord.

"This is all my fault," she stated angrily. "I should've stayed out of sight during your battle. If it weren't for me, you wouldn't have gotten hurt. You wouldn't have almost _died_." she choked out, salty tears mixing with her healing water.

"If it weren't for you, I _would've_ died, Katara." Zuko argued, glaring at her to stop her unnecessary self-flogging. "And it's not just because you have healing abilities either. Knowing you were there by my side gave me the courage and strength to face Azula. I could never have done it alone."

"If I hadn't been standing in the plaza, she wouldn't have shot at me, and you wouldn't have had to save me!" she rebutted stubbornly as she healed some of his internal scar tissue and mended weakened blood vessels. "I was so stupid! If I couldn't beat her at Ba Sing Se, why did I think I could beat her during _Sozin's Comet_? _Stupid_!"

"But you _did_ beat her." Zuko reminded her. "You beat her and you saved me. So what if I got hurt? It was _war_, Katara. Everyone gets hurt in war. And most of those people aren't lucky enough to have a friend like you. Katara, just as Toph is the greatest Earthbender in the world, _you're_ the world's best Waterbender." Zuko stated with conviction, causing Katara to flush a bright red. "And I'm not the only one who thinks that." he added, grinning at their silent guest, who had just walked in. "Right, Aang?"

"Couldn't have said it better myself, Zuko." the Avatar smiled, coming up behind Katara and putting an arm over her shoulders. "So how's he doin'?" the thirteen-year-old Airbender asked nonchalantly, trying not to look worried for Zuko's sake.

"Well, the good news is that I'll be able to heal everything on the inside. Eventually. You won't even be able to tell that he was shot with lightning. No pain, no spasms, nothing. The bad news is... he'll always have a scar. I can't do anything about that." Katara admitted, casting her disappointed gaze at her shoes, as if it was _her_ fault.

"That's okay, Katara. It actually looks kinda cool, like a many-pointed star. I could pretend that it's a tattoo!" Zuko laughed, trying to brighten his friend's mood.

"It _does_ kinda look like a star..." Aang agreed, studying it appreciatively. "Mine just looks like I got hit in the back with a reddish-pink fruit pie." he laughed, causing the Fire Lord to chuckle as well. "Well if that's the case, then I got smacked in the _face_ with one!" he joked, pointing a thumb at the scar over his left eye. Both boys laughed at that, and Katara couldn't resist a little giggle herself, rolling her eyes at her goofy friends.

"You know Zuko, my offer in Ba Sing Se still stands." Katara stated after a minute of silence. Zuko cocked his head and looked at her in confusion, not knowing what she was referring to. Aang looked at her too, wondering what his girlfriend could be thinking. Seeing their confusion, she elaborated. "When we were in the crystal catacombs of old Ba Sing Se under the palace... I offered to heal your scar."

"Oh, you had to bring _that_ up." The Fire Lord complained, grimacing guiltily at the memory. "I thought you used that Spirit Water on Aang after the... erm, battle." he stated questioningly, glancing at the Avatar for confirmation.

"I _did_. But there's no reason I can't get _more_." The Water Tribe girl answered. "I could heal your eye now so that you could see better out of it, like your right eye, and when we get to the North Pole I could heal the outside."

Zuko's eyes widened, his right eye moreso than his left, but widened all the same. "You... you would do that for _me_?" he asked incredulously, absentmindedly brushing a hand across the burned and marred skin around his eye.

"Of course! You're my friend, silly, That's what friends _do_," she laughed. "My question is: Do you want me to try?" she asked, looking at her friend expectantly.

Zuko thought long and hard about the crucial question, as if he were choosing between two sides of himself: The eldest son of the previous Fire Lord and heir to the throne, or the banished and disgraced prince, stripped of his title and power, cursed for defending his people. The good guy he had become, or the privileged, somewhat selfish kid that he had been.

"You don't have to answer right away, Zuko. You'll have plenty of time to think about it on your 'diplomatic journey' around the world." Katara assured, just a hint of playfulness in her voice, centered around the words 'diplomatic journey'. Iroh could give it all the fancy and important-sounding titles he wanted. A vacation was still a vacation. Not that she was opposed to the idea. Zuko half-smiled at her, then closed both of his eyes and allowed her to touch the left side of his face, her soft fingers gently brushing against the seared flesh of his eyelid and temple, a mark that extended all the way back to his ear.

"You know, now that I see it up close, your scar vaguely resembles a handprint. How could your father do this to you?" she asked, horrorstruck at the very thought of someone harming their own flesh and blood like that. It would be like Hakoda scarring Sokka!

"Easy. He just put his right hand over my eye," Zuko explained tonelessly as he demonstrated, matching his palm perfectly within the edges of the scar. "Then.." he removed his hand and conjured a large tongue of fire in his palm, the flame nearly the size of Momo, who was perched on Aang's shoulder.

"I wasn't asking how he _did_ it, I just can't fathom how a father could do something like that to his own _son_." Katara frowned as Aang put a hand over his mouth in horror, seeing his friend in a whole new light. Obviously, he hadn't yet heard the true story of the scar's creation.

"We came from two _very_ different families, Katara. Let's just leave it at that." Zuko stated bluntly, ending the conversation. He didn't particularly want to explore the labyrinth of the previous Fire Lord's psyche. In fact, he didn't want anything more to do with the man anymore. Even if that man was his father.

"Sorry, Zuko. I didn't mean to dredge up painful memories." Katara apologized as she coated her right hand in water by using her bending. The Fire Lord closed his right eye again, but tried his best to keep his left eye open, so that Katara could bend the water into and around the cavity that housed his eye. As the cool liquid entered seemingly of its own accord, Zuko shivered involuntarily, the reflex having nothing to do with the temperature of the room.

"That feels really... weird. Soothing, but _weird_." the young man observed, making an odd face as the liquid passed some of the nerve receptors in the socket. Aang chuckled at his expression, but stopped when Zuko glared at him with his good eye. "Sorry. You were making funny faces." the boy apologized, then created an airball and played with his pet lemur as Katara worked on Zuko's eye.

"I can feel a lot of energy twisted up in there, and more scar tissue than I'd expected. Almost all of your tear ducts are blocked off by dried blood and other stuff. No wonder you can't open this eye very well." Katara commented, gently bending her element with the skills of a true healing master.

"When I first got the scar, Uncle had a healer smuggled in from the Northern Water Tribe, to try to save my eye. They thought I was unconscious, but I wasn't. She pretty much said the same thing." Zuko told her, causing the Waterbender to raise her eyebrows in surprise. Iroh apparently held a great amount of influence as a Grand Lotus member of the Order.

Without warning, a blue glow surrounded Zuko's left eye as Katara repaired the scarred tissue and removed the blockages from the glands and muscles in Zuko's eyelid, restoring them to their former functionality prior to the Agni Kai. As she worked, Zuko could actually feel the crusted blood and other substances breaking away into the water and the tissues and muscles repairing themselves. It was an odd feeling to be sure, but not an unpleasant one. For the first time in over three years, Zuko felt that his eye could move around as much as he wanted, without any pain from damaged tissue.

After five minutes of healing and cleansing the eye, Katara was fairly tired, having used more energy than she'd expected. She carefully drew out the water and returned it to the empty basin from whence it came. She made a disgusted face when she saw all the flecks of dried blood and whatnot floating in the water, and she cleaned it out before the two boys saw it. Turning back to her friend, she said kindly, "You can open your eyes now, Fire Lord. I'm all done."

The young man slowly did as he was told, revealing his golden irises and smiling warmly at his two friends. He was just about to thank Katara when she laughed, "All the way, Zuko. I know you can open your eye wider than _that_." He tried, and gasped when he found that he could now see equally out of both eyes, for the first time in over three years.

"Much better," Aang praised, laying a congratulatory hand on his girlfriend's shoulder. "At least you don't look like you've got a permanent scowl now." Zuko glared at him in mock-annoyance, but then smiled and laughed as he agreed with the Avatar's observation. Stepping over to a mirror, the young man studied his new reflection with interest, experimenting with his eyelid's newfound mobility. He looked past his own reflection, and saw those of his friends, smiling with love, happiness, and joy in their eyes. Katara's were even getting a little watery. They were happy because _he_ was happy, a sign of true friendship. "_Thank you_, Katara." Zuko whispered as he hugged them both. _For being a true friend_.

End of Chapter 1

Next chapter teaser: Plans for Departure

I'd listen to your friends if I were you, Zuzu. You're never too young to have a heart attack. *Sigh* Will he _ever_ learn? ...doubt it. Tee-hee!

I just wanna take this sentence to say that this is _NOT_ a Zutara fic. I'm an avid Kataang/Maiko shipper, and I intend to stay that way. The only 'love' between Katara and Zuko will be a love that one has for one's close friends. And it's not Ty Luko either. Or Toko. Plenty of friendship fluff, though!

The 'other stuff' I was referring to in the healing process? I didn't want to gross you out in the actual story, but it was pus. Ew.

I was always waiting for Katara to at least _partially_ heal Zuko's eye in the show, but they never did. So now _I'm_ doing it!

Aww. Friendship fluff. Better get used to it now, 'cause this fic's gonna be chock-full of it!

Until next time!

Tsunami Storm


	2. Plans for Departure

The Scars of War chapter 2: Plans for Departure

* * *

"You ready to go, Zuko?" Aang asked a few days later, as everyone was preparing to leave for the Southern Water Tribe. Katara and Sokka were excited to finally be going home, and Aang was looking forward to penguin-sledding again. Everyone on Team Avatar would be going. Suki and Ty Lee of the Kyoshi Warriors, Katara and Sokka of the Water Tribe, The Duke of the Freedom Fighters, Téo of the Northern Air Temple, Haru and Toph Beifong of the Earth Kingdom, and Zuko, Mai, and her baby brother Tom-Tom of the Fire Nation. And of course, the Avatar, Aang.

Everyone had decided to direct their 'diplomatic mission' as they had on Aang's worldwide adventure to master the four elements and end the Hundred-Year War. They would start with the South Pole, and end with the capitol city of the Fire Nation, traveling all over the world to bring the news of the war's end to even the remotest islands and areas.

"I don't know if I can do this, Aang." the Fire Lord answered, staring at his feet in embarrassment. "I mean, I was raised and taught to rule with fear and an iron fist. It's the only way I know how to deal with people. And I know next to nothing about diplomacy. How will I convince the other nations of my intentions of peace?" He looked at the thirteen-year-old Avatar, apprehension and nervousness reflected in his golden gaze.

"Just be yourself, Zuko." Aang advised simply, putting a hand on his friend's shoulder. "You did just fine at your coronation ceremony. I was really impressed."

"I had help with that speech, though. And I had weeks to prepare. With this diplomacy mission, I'm gonna have little time to prepare, and I'll have to improvise a lot." Zuko argued, his stress and nerves escalating by the minute, rather like a snowball rolling down a mountain, growing larger and larger as it descended, until it was the size of a small house.

"You're not like your predecessors, Zuko. You have a good heart, anyone can see that. And it's not just because of your scar." Zuko touched the angry red burn that covered his left eye and almost a quarter of his face absentmindedly, feeling the rough surface of seared flesh under his fingertips. He'd finally gotten around to telling his friends the reason for his mark, and finally relieved some of the heavy burden that had rested on his young shoulders for so long. "And that's exactly what you need to do here, speak from your heart." Aang continued, displaying wisdom beyond his years. "If you speak from the heart, people are more likely to accept you, and your intentions."

Zuko smiled softly, calming down a bit. "I guess I have to draw on the wisdom of my _other_ great-grandfather." he muttered, too softly for Aang to hear. _Avatar Roku. Huh. Who would've thought it? _he mused. _Certainly not me._

"What?" Aang asked, but Zuko shook his head. "It's nothing. Thanks, Aang." Zuko smiled again, then grabbed his last travel bag and walked out of his old room in the Fire Nation palace, the room that belonged to the Crown Prince. One day, this room would belong to his son, or Azula's old room would become his daughter's. Since Zuko's proposal to Mai a week ago, her parents had been staying in the palace with them, and Tom-Tom was currently using Zuko's old room as a play and nap area.

_He's kind of like _my_ little brother, in a way._ Zuko smiled to himself as he thought of the three-year-old. He'd shocked them all when he'd said his first word only two days ago. His mother had been holding him, and he pointed directly at Mai and cried, "Sissy!" His sister had been so surprised that she forgot about her mask of indifference and let her jaw drop in a wide smile. Zuko had been sitting next to her on the couch, and he too wore a surprised smile, or, as much of one as he could, with his scar.

He was still in the past as he and Aang left the palace city and journeyed to the harbor, where Zuko's new flagship was docked, waiting for it's passengers to board. Aang and Ty Lee had designed a magnificent banner for the vessel, and it now flew proudly in the playful sea breeze. It depicted the four elements as Iroh had drawn for Zuko long ago, when he was learning how to redirect lightning. Only this time, it was depicted in vibrant colors. Yellow and orange for Air, blue and white for Water, green and brown for Earth, and red and black for Fire. The circle that encompassed the four elements was a royal purple, and the flag outside the circle of elements was white, the universal sign of peace.

"How can someone who rises with the sun _still_ be as slow as a snail-sloth?" a teasing voice called from the deck, and jolted Zuko out of his musings. He knew that voice. "Good morning to you too, Katara." he called back, shooting a mock-glare at his friend, but then he smiled.

"Morning, Fire Lord. Ready to go?" she laughed as he walked up the gangplank and joined the gathering. Zuko answered her question by asking a rhetorical one. "Would I be here if I wasn't?" he grinned, and earned a playful shove from the master Waterbender.

"Who's taking care of the domestic affairs while you're away, Zuko-I mean, Fire Lord?" Sokka asked. His tone was teasing, but the Firebender could tell that the Water Tribe warrior was honestly curious.

"I asked Uncle to fill in for me as Fire Lord while I'm on this diplomatic voyage, and I've appointed governors to handle the everyday matters. One of which is Mai's father. I know my country is in good hands with them." Zuko answered seriously, calming Sokka's joking mood just a little bit.

"No need to be so serious, Zuko. I know everything's gonna be fine on your home-front. I was just teasing." Sokka laughed, clapping his friend on the shoulder.

"It's not the home-front I'm worried about." Zuko replied, and Sokka's grin softened just a little bit. "Don't worry about it so much, Zuko. We'll all stand by you, and having the Avatar on your side has got to count for something, eh? I mean, he's the great mediator bridge-person. Those people near the Hai Bei forest said so."

"He's the bridge between our world and the _Spirit_ World, not the four nations. You're getting Aang's titles confused, Sokka." Zuko corrected, grinning in spite of himself.

"Ah, whatever. He's still a good person to have as your friend in diplomatic liaisons like this." Sokka shrugged, and Zuko agreed. Then he and the young Water Tribe warrior went below deck to unpack and sort out their belongings in their respective rooms. It was going to be a long trip to the Southern Water Tribe.

* * *

_Knock. Knock. Groan._ "Who's there?" Zuko asked tiredly the next morning as he sat up in bed, rubbing his good eye to remove the sleepers. "It's me, Katara." came a voice from the other side of the doorway. Without waiting for an invitation, the girl opened the door and walked into Zuko's quarters, raising an eyebrow when she spotted the room's other occupant. "You weren't really going to throw that at me, were you?" she asked, eyeing the tongue of flame that was in Zuko's hand.

Zuko put his head down sheepishly and fibbed. "No, it was just so I could see who came in." Lucky for Katara, Zuko was a terrible liar, and she caught his deception right away. She glared at him reprovingly, and after a minute, he caved. He made the flame smaller and separated it into two tongues, then cast them over to his small meditation table, where a row of candlesticks stood. The flames danced across the wicks in a perfectly straight line, until all four of them were lit. "You're right. I'm sorry. Even after all this time, my instincts say 'Burn first, apologize later'." A few seconds passed, and the Fire Lord clarified, "I'm apologizing."

Katara chuckled a little, then said, "You din't actually _burn_ me, so no harm done. Apology accepted anyway, though." she smiled and walked over to him, sitting next to him on the bed. When he leaned away from her a little, just in a moment of bashfulness, she explained, "You need a healing session. I could tell. You're chest feels like it's filled with rocks, right?"

Now that she had mentioned it, Zuko _did_ notice that it was a bit harder to breathe than normal. He nodded slowly, then took off his nightshirt and lay down on the bed while Katara bent her healing water out of the water-skin on her back. She poured her energy into it, and her hands and the liquid around them glowed bright blue. She gently touched the water to Zuko's lightning scar, and slowly worked to relieve the tension.

"I thought you already healed me completely back at the plaza." Zuko commented conversationally as his friend continued in her work.

"Oh, no. There's no _way _I could possibly heal an injury like_ that_ in so little time. Not with normal water, anyway. With Spirit Water, maybe. I only patched you up so you wouldn't die." Katara explained. "I'll need a lot more time and more water from the Spirit Oasis if I am to heal you completely."

"Oh." was all Zuko could think to say to that, and thereafter he watched in silence as one of his best friends bent her element around his wounds with the skill of a true master.

"There's so much energy twisted up in there." Katara commented after a minute of silence. "It's almost as if it's been there since the day you were born, and it's been growing and tangling itself up more and more ever since." she gasped, beads of sweat appearing on her brow from the strain of her work. "Of course," she continued, "Azula's lightning didn't help matters. She made it ten times worse."

_Well that makes sense, _Zuko thought to himself. _My two great-grandfathers were bitter enemies._ Then he chuckled. _No wonder I've never been able to create my own lightning! It's been a war between the two halves of my family ever since I was born!_

"Something funny, Zuko?" Katara asked when he'd laughed, but he waved it off, saying, "Maybe I'll tell you some other time," a mysterious, mischievous gleam in his golden eyes.

"Oh, all right. Be that way." Katara teased, pretending to be offended. But then she smiled, and they both started laughing. They were still laughing when Aang came into the room. "Hey guys, come up on the deck. You've _got_ to see this!"

Katara and Zuko looked at each other briefly in confusion, then back at the young Avatar, who stood grinning at the door. Then they got up and followed their friend out, Zuko grabbing his shirt and robe on the way out. He donned his clothing in the hallway, tying the silk rope of his robes around his waist just as he stepped out onto the deck of the ship.

"Whoa!" Katara and Zuko gasped in unison, but they were too awestruck at the sight before them to notice the humor. A full moon was halfway between the horizon and the center of the sky as it smiled down on them from the heavens above, bathing them all in its lunar glow. But that wasn't the amazing part. The moon was huge! It looked about three times its normal size as it shone in the sky. The other aspect was that it was orange instead of the pearly white it normally was.

"Isn't it beautiful, Katara?" Aang asked his girlfriend as he took her hand and led her to the rail for a closer look. She could only nod as she gazed in wonder at the gigantic celestial body. "She sure is, Aang."

Looking around, Zuko noticed that everyone was out on deck, enjoying the salty sea breeze and the spectacular view. Suki and Sokka were near the prow, Ty Lee and Haru were standing together near the rear of the ship, on the port [left] side, Toph was sitting by The Duke and Tom-Tom, trying to forget about her seasickness by distracting herself with the toddler, and Aang and Katara were between Sokka and Toph, just leaning on the rail and gazing at the moon and each other. Téo was with Toph and the two younger children.

Seeing Aang and Katara looking at each other with such love in their eyes made Zuko feel a stab of loneliness. He suddenly wanted to look at his special one like that, and her at him in return. He turned around in place and finally found the girl in question, leaning up against the starboard [right] rail and crossing her arms, trying to look uncaring and nonchalant as usual, but failing spectacularly. Zuko could see her trembling from here. He walked over to her and put his arm around her shoulders, letting his inner fire warm her automatically.

"Are you cold?" he asked, not really needing an answer, but he got one anyway. "Not anymore, now that you're here, mister Sun Lord." she smirked, and Zuko raised an eyebrow.

"'Sun Lord'?" he asked, and she grinned wider. "Yeah. You're like my own personal sun, providing light and warmth, but never burning me. I know you'd never do that."

"No. I'd never do that. I would never hurt you intentionally." Zuko answered, putting his arms around her and resting his chin on the top of her head. "I love you Mai. So much." he whispered to her as they stood there on the deck, the moon glowing brightly above them.

"I don't hate you too, Zuko." Mai answered back in the same whisper, a smile on her face as she voiced their little inside joke. He looked around the deck again, and discovered that they were not the only couple embracing. Near the prow [front] of the ship, Suki and Sokka were locked in each other's gaze, just staring at each other and whispering unintelligible words. Across from him, Zuko could see Aang and Katara in the same position, only they looked like they were about to kiss. Back by the stern [rear], Haru and Ty Lee were talking about something, and Mai's friend seemed very animated about the subject. Tom-Tom had fallen asleep on Téo's lap, and Toph and The Duke were laying on the deck, about to fall asleep themselves.

As he turned back to look at Mai, he noticed that her face was closer to his than it had been previously. He blinked once in confusion, but then his surprised gaze softened when he realized what she was doing. Her storm-gray eyes were closed, and she slowly leaned in closer as Zuko did the same.

Unbeknownst to them, he and Mai, Sokka and Suki, and Aang and Katara all kissed at exactly the same moment, all unaware of what their other friends were doing. Also at that moment, dozens of shooting stars fell through the sky, and some collided in a shower of brilliant sparks, looking just like fireworks at a festival in the Fire Nation.

Zuko and Mai didn't notice.

* * *

Zuko shivered. "I don't remember it being this _cold_ the last time I was here." he complained as another tremor shot through his nervous system as he stood out on deck. Beside him, Katara smiled a little, excited about finally returning home. She wondered how much her home had changed, now that Pakku and some other benders and healers had moved down here from the North Pole. Also, their warriors had returned after the end of the War, along with all the other prisoners of war from the Southern Water Tribe that Zuko had released from the various prisons around the Fire Nation.

"Actually, it was _warmer_ then, Zuko." Katara pointed out, and he looked at her as she continued, "You showed up at the end of our summer, and now it's considered winter." she explained, and the Fire Lord shuddered again.

"No wonder I'm freezing." he stated, crossing his arms and concentrating his energy, producing a few fireballs with his Breath of Fire. "But I guess I'll get used to it. Your people won't think that I'm a very strong ruler if I'm always shaking like an autumn leaf."

"That's why you gotta 'dress for success', buddy." Aang commented as he approached the two bending masters, holding a piece of crimson fabric over his arm. He threw the material to Zuko, who caught it reflexively and held it up. It was a parka, woven in the style of the Water Tribe, but made of koala-sheep wool that had been dyed red. The hood and trim of the garment had been lined with incredibly soft white fur, and just below the neck sat a circle that depicted a golden flame, the symbol for the Fire Nation royal family. Even while Zuko was holding it, it looked warm.

"I've been working on that for a while," Aang explained as Zuko just stared at the gift with his mouth open. "I hope it fits. You're about the same size as Sokka, or close enough. I figured you might want something that symbolized who you were, while still showing that you were accepting the culture of the Water Tribe." he grinned, surprising Zuko with his foresight.

"Aang..." Zuko gasped. "I... I don't know what to say. This is..." he stammered, tripping over his words.

"Well, 'thank-you' works just about as well as anything." the avatar joked, and Zuko laughed. "Thank you, Aang. It's... it's incredible."

"It sure is. It's beautiful." Katara added, eyeing the parka appreciatively as Zuko pulled it on. To his great surprise, it was just the right size. "I never knew you could sew, Aang." she smiled at her boyfriend, who smiled back and shrugged. "We had to make our own clothes at the Air Temple. The monks taught me all kinds of things. But the man who taught me the most was my best friend, Gyatso." Aang smiled softly as fond memories of the Airbending master surfaced in his mind.

"You must miss him a lot." Zuko interjected after he had donned his new parka, looking over at his friend with regret and guilt in his eyes, even though he'd had nothing to do with the genocide a century ago. He still felt responsible for the atrocity that his great-grandfather had committed.

"Yeah. But it's okay. He'll always be with me in my heart, and I still have my memories of him, both from my lifetime and Roku's." Aang answered, and Zuko looked at him in shock. _He has all his past lives' memories as well? I wonder if he knows about the connection between me and Roku..._

"Land ho!" the helmsman shouted at that moment, and the three friends looked over the starboard side to their destination, Katara and Sokka's homeland, the Southern Water Tribe. As they neared the South Pole, everyone's jaw dropped at exactly the same moment, Katara and Sokka gaping like beached fish. "Are we sure this is the South Pole that we grew up in? Or did we end up at the North Pole instead?" Sokka asked, half-joking, half-serious.

"It's definitely a far cry from what it used to be." Katara agreed with her brother, gaping at her home in awe. The arrival of the waterbenders and healers from their sister tribe really made a difference. The wall around the city was at least 30 feet high now, and impressive lookout towers stood 15 feet apart all along the wall. Some small water rafts carrying benders and warriors sailed out of small tunnels in the wall, and surrounded the naval vessel on which the Fire Lord and the Gaang were approaching. Katara and Sokka spotted Bato on one of the ships, and they beamed and waved enthusiastically to the man who had been like an uncle to them growing up. The warrior waved back with a smile, then signaled to the other rafts that this ship was carrying friends.

"So far, so good." Zuko muttered to himself, shivering again, but this time, his trembling had nothing to do with the temperature. Katara heard him, and she considered to herself,_He has no reason to be nervous, but I can see why he is. He's far from home, and he has to convince a whole nation that he's changed, that the war is over. Still, it's gonna be a lot easier for him with my dad, the Chief, on his side._

As the ship sailed through a brand-new opening in the wall, courtesy of the waterbender sentries on the perimeter, every one of the group gasped in awe at the extent to which the south pole had improved. The animal-skin tents had been replaced with grand igloos, the furs adorning the inside of the dwellings to keep the heat inside. It finally looked like a formidable city, rather than the small village that it had been before the arrival of the benders. A gigantic version of the symbol of water was carved into the side of the wall, just as in the Northern Tribe, and the siblings were uplifted at the sight of their home.

Finally, the ship reached the dock, and the gangplank was lowered to the snow-covered shore below. Zuko took one last breath to calm his nerves, then walked down the metal bridge to the solid ice. "And so, it begins."

* * *

End of Chapter 2

Next chapter teaser: An Icy Reception

Okay. No matter how I do that 'midnight moon' scene, it always sounds terribly cheesy. Oh well.

Personally, I see Zuko's scar as a sign of his honor. I know it looks horrible, but I'm torn between him getting rid of it or keeping it. What do you guys [and girls] think?

Until next time!

Tsunami Storm


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